Liberal groundswell for equality

The Liberal Party’s opposition to same-sex marriage is being challenged from within its own ranks, with a proposal for marriage equality posted on the members’ ideas section of the party’s website receiving massive support.
The Liberal member who posted the idea wrote that allowing same-sex marriage was in line with Liberal Party ideals as it stressed “the importance [of] individual freedoms and how the government really has no business poking its nose in your personal affairs unless you’re breaking the law”.
Australian Marriage Equality (AME) spokesman Alex Greenwich said he found support for the idea among Liberal supporters encouraging.
“We’ve seen the amount of grassroots support there is for same-sex marriage in the Labor Party, with the Victorian and Tasmanian ALPs formally endorsing it at the state conferences … now we’re seeing it on the Liberal side also,” he said.
“I do hope Tony Abbott will listen to the members of his own party, as well as the general public, and realise that there is growing support for same-sex marriage.”
The proposal crossed the threshold of 100 registered supporters to receive a response from a shadow parliamentary secretary in just four days and is now in the running to receive a response from the relevant shadow minister should another 400 supporters sign up.
At the time of writing, the proposal was the fourth most commented idea on the website, with more than 700 non-registered members of the public voting ‘yes’ on it. Fewer than 100 had voted ‘no’.
Greenwich encouraged gay members of the Liberal Party to register their support on the website.
“There are gay and lesbian members of the Liberal Party, and the Liberal Party is a party of a number of different views,” he said.
“As members of the Liberal Party and members of our community, I’d really encourage them to do that and make their voices heard.”
Greenwich said making the community aware of candidates who supported same-sex marriage would be a priority for AME during the federal election campaign period.